


Things Don’t Always Stick to Plan

by SentientMango



Series: Soulmate September 2020 [2]
Category: Cartoon Therapy (Web Series), Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, College, Nonbinary Character, Queerplatonic Relationships, Soulmates, Subtle transphobic and homophobic comments at the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:28:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26254189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SentientMango/pseuds/SentientMango
Summary: Logan has been preparing their whole life for the day they meet their soulmate. It’s supposed to be a magical experience that changes a person’s entire life, so they have no reason to be afraid right?
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Sleep | Remy Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Sleep | Remy Sanders
Series: Soulmate September 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905670
Comments: 6
Kudos: 71





	Things Don’t Always Stick to Plan

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2 of Ts Soulmate September, the prompt for today was: There is a timer that counts down to when you will meet your soulmate.

Logan had their whole life planned out in front of them. When they were very young their parents had planned their life, they would learn piano and violin, they would play soccer, they would excel in everything they tried. When they were ten, Logan knew exactly what they wanted to do when they grew up, and by thirteen they knew what college they wanted to go to. Logan got straight A’s, they were a top performer, they did almost everything right. They had everything planned out, including their soulmate.

When the timer appeared on their fifteenth birthday, they immediately checked how old they would be, and tried to work out where they would be based on context clues. They knew they would be eighteen, which was relatively young, they were ahead, that was good. When they showed their parents they were pleased. They also knew it would be in August, and when they told their parents this they were very happy. 

“Oh my little Loganberry! That’s wonderful! I bet you meet her at your college, she’s probably so smart, just like you!”

“Great going son.”

The compliments felt a little hollow, but Logan kepted working, they needed to keep up their grades, maintain their GPA. They needed to get into a good college, it was what they were meant to do.

As college approached they found themself not exactly getting excited but just more nervous. They knew exactly when they would meet this mystery person two weeks, two days, fifty seven minutes and forty two seconds. They knew exactly what they were going to wear on the day, they had picked it out two months ago. They had already pinned down what would be happening on that day, they would be either moving into their college dorm or had recently moved in, which left little room for error. It would almost certainly be a fellow student they met on campus. But between all of these certainties Logan could not help but feel unprepared.

They’d never put much thought into romance, they used to think it would just come when they met their soulmate, but they just weren’t sure that was how it was supposed to be. Their friends talked a lot about crushes they’d had which Logan knew were not on their soulmates, and the whole idea of romantic attraction just didn’t make much sense. But now it was so quickly approaching with such a definite start and an end that was so far from sight and they didn’t feel ready. Their parents knew what was best though, of course they did. 

Logan adjusted the collar of their shirt in the mirror for the last time before they went downstairs with their bags. Their parents were waiting outside with the car as they left the house.

“‘Bout time Champ!” Their dad called, “Come on we don’t want to be late for your big day!”

Logan opened the boot and nestled their bags in between a few boxes that were already in there. It wasn’t as much as Logan had thought they’d need, two boxes and two bags, but their parents had said they would deal with furniture later, so they supposed that cut down on what they would need. Their hand drifted over the timer, three hours. “Which big day would that be?” Logan asked as they got into the car.

Their dad chuckled, “Good question, which are you more worried about being late for?”

This was a nonsensical question. Logan knew they couldn’t be late to meeting their soulmate or moving in, but for some reason meeting his soulmate, a set point in their life was much more nerve wracking than being late to moving into their home. “I think you know which it is,” Logan said stiffly. “Can we get going?”

“Sure honey!” Logan’s mom said and she patted their knee, “you know your dad's just joking.”

“Of course.” Logan said as they attempted not to shy away from their mom's touch. 

~~~

Logan stepped outside of the car and took a deep breath, the air was cool and fresh, and the sun was setting behind the school. Logan felt their hand subconsciously drift to their wrist again as their parents got out of the car, the car ride had been longer than they expected, they’d gotten caught in rush hour, and now there was only twenty minutes left. 

“Do you want us to come in with you?”

Logan glanced over at their mom who was looking at him curiously as he stared at the school. “Ah, no. I can carry my stuff myself.”

“Alright.” Logan’s dad said, “well call us either today or tomorrow, good luck, you need it!”

Logan rolled their eyes, “yeah yeah, talk to you soon.”

Logan threw their backpack on and hooked his other bag over his shoulder before picking up his two boxes. About five minutes into walking to the school Logan realized he probably should have asked his parents to carry one of them. They couldn’t exactly see very well, which wasn’t great since they were walking through a parking lot.

Then Logan crashed into something. Luckily they kept a grip on the boxes, but their glasses did get knocked off their face in the impact. 

“I’m sorry,” Logan said as they set down the boxes and began to feel around for their glasses. They weren't sure if they had bumped into a person, but better safe than sorry.

“It’s no biggie! Oh here!” Logan’s glasses were placed in they’re hands. 

Logan put on their glasses and immediately glanced around to get their bearings. The person they had bumped into was carrying a small totes bag that was hooked over their shoulder. “Thank you.” Logan said as they stood up and brushed off their hands on their pants.

“Of course! I’m Patton, he/him. First day?”

Logan nodded, “Ah yes, it is. I go by Logan, they/them, pleasure to meet you.”

“Yeah! It’s great to meet you.” Patton gestured to the boxes, “lot of stuff you got there, do you want any help?”

“I-” Logan paused and glanced down at their stuff. “Well I suppose if you have time.”

Patton bent down and picked up one of Logan’s boxes, “I’ve got plenty of time! Do you want me to carry one of your bags?”

“No thank you,” Logan said and they picked up the other box.

“So where are we headed?”

“Um…” Logan grabbed a piece of paper they’d shoved in their pocket, “The Sanders Side Hall?”

“Oh, that’s great! I was heading over there anyway.”

“Oh cool. Why’s that?”

“Huh?” Patton asked as he glanced over, “Oh I’m just visiting a friend.”

“That’s cool…”

  
  
  


…

  
  
  


...

  
  
  


…

  
  
  


“So do you know what your major’s going to be?” Patton asked.

“Ah I’m undeclared at the moment, however I’ve been thinking of Astrophysics.”

“Oh astrophysics! That’s a cool major, all about the stars and stuff, you know I bet you’d get along great with my friends too, half of them are head over heels for space.”

“Yeah, it’s fascinating up there.”

Patton nodded, “yeah it really is.” 

They fell silent again but it was less awkward this time, Logan felt more comfortable like Patton might be a friend instead of a stranger. They kept dwelling on one thing that Patton said, “I bet you’ll get along great with my friends _too_.” It was that too that really caught their attention, it was like Patton was telling them, ‘hey I don’t know you, but I want to’ and that gave Logan hope. Hope about what exactly? They weren’t sure, but it was hope nonetheless.

“Here we are!” Patton said cheerily, “Now what room do you-”

“Patton there you are!” A person in large black combat boots, ripped black jeans and a loose fitting tank top for some band stormed towards them. They grabbed Patton by the elbow, who was still holding Logan’s box as they said. “You do know what time it is right? Come on!”

“Wait Virgil-”

“Waiting is exactly what we can’t do, come on.”

Logan was left slightly shocked, scratch that, very shocked as this Virgil person walked off with Patton who still had their box. They stood for a moment, trying to process what just happened before realizing they definitely needed that box.

Armed with their two bags and still carrying a box they ran after Patton, “Patton! You still have my stuff!”

They heard voices echoing around the hallways, they sounded close.

_“What if it doesn’t go well?”_

_“We’ll have your back.”_

_“I promise no matter what they say you’ll still have us!”_

_“Five seconds.”_

_“4”_

_“3”_

_“2”_

_“1”_

Logan rounded the corner where the voices were coming from, “Patton!” They said, and immediately regretted it. There were six people including Patton in a group around a small stone bench, three people were sitting on it, one person was sitting on the stone rail behind it and had their feet on it, they were drinking something out of a large thermos. Patton was standing on the right side of the group with Virgil. When Logan called Patton’s name, the entire group snapped their gaze to Logan, and then most of them looked at Patton curiously, except one of the people one bench and Patton who looked very surprised. 

The hallways were otherwise completely empty besides that small group, so their voice echoed throughout the building. “Um you took off with my stuff.” Logan explained, as they began to fidget under all these strangers inquisitive gazes.

There was a few seconds of silence, it was deafening.

Then Patton started laughing, “I did, didn’t I?”

“Yes you did.” Logan said relieved, although they were still very confused. “I’m sorry did I interrupt something? You’re all staring at me like I figuratively have two heads.”

Patton glanced over at one of the people who was sitting on the bench, the one who had yet to break their gaze from Logan. “Um…”

“You were kind of meant to interrupt,” the person said. Logan couldn't read their expression, and noticed that they had piercing brown eyes. Their eyes were very pretty, but intense, and although Logan didn’t want to break eye contact, they felt like they should.

Logan smiled with deep confusion and looked over at Patton, the only familiar face in the crowd, “Well I don’t know what kind of college audience participation hallway magic trick this is, but I’m just going to get my stuff, and go?”

“Wait Logan, please.” Patton said before looking at the person with the brown eyes, “do you want me to...?”

They nodded, and Patton turned to Logan again, “I am so sorry, this must be so weird.”

“No, no, this is cool, super normal!” Logan said as they nodded, but they had a feeling their face betrayed them when Virgil snickered and turned away to hide their laughter.

Patton smiled gently, “Well I think I should stop being so cryptic. Your timer ran out.”

“And ze’s the reason why!” The person sitting on the wall said, pointing at the person with deep piercing brown eyes. 

“I was getting to that!” 

“Well you were taking too long. Some-”

Logan tuned out as they set down their box and bags, it wasn’t like they didn’t believe Patton, but they wanted to see it. Just like Patton said, the numbers written on their wrist said _00:00:00:00._

“Oh.” Was all Logan managed to say before their legs gave out.

They didn’t faint, but they got as close as someone can get without fainting. They thought when this happened they would have been ready, but turns out they weren't.

Logan was very glad that they had put their stuff down when they collapsed, it turns out having free hands is very useful for catching yourself. 

Patton had rushed over, and knelt beside Logan, “Woah, are you okay?” Patton asked as Logan held their head in their hands. Their head was figuratively spinning and they could see stars. 

“Um,” Logan started as they tried to form a coherent thought, “uh yes. Apologies I suppose I was not as prepared as I thought I was, this has been strange.”

“It’s okay, take your time.” Logan knew that wasn’t Patton, but couldn’t place the voice.

It took a little while until blood stopped pounding in Logan’s ears, and the only thing they had focus for was their breathing, but when that was done Logan began to tune into the whispered conversation happening around them. 

“-see them? No, there’s no way I can do it now.”

“Why not? Nothing really changed.”

“What do you mean! They basically fainted from excitement, I-”

“Oh don’t flatter yourself, that wasn’t excitement.”

“What?”

“I think Dee’s right, that looked a heck of a lot like fear to me.”

“Oh… So huh.”

“You need to tell them, keeping secrets isn’t a good plan for literally anyone in this situation.”

“Oh you’re one to talk about secrets.”

“Come on hun, it’s not all about you anyway.”

“I know I’m sorry.”

Logan rolled their shoulders and stood up shakily, immediately Patton took notice and came over. 

“Hey,” Patton said gently and Logan could tell he was worried about them collapsing again by how he was hovering so close to them. “Are you okay kiddo?”

Logan nodded slowly, “um yes I believe so. I just-” Logan looked over at the person who was supposed to be their soulmate. “I think I need a minute,” Logan said to Patton. “I’m going to go outside for a second, can I trust you won’t run off with my stuff again?”

“Of course.” Patton said with a hint of a smile, his face was still creased with worry though.

Logan attempted to smile at Patton before they walked out of the building and sat down on the curb. They weren’t really sure why they felt this way. Their heart was beating out of their chest and they felt a bit sick. Logan pulled their legs into their chest, they weren’t ready. They thought this would have made them happy, they thought that if they met their soulmate they’d just instantly fall in love. 

But then why did this feel so wrong? 

“Knock knock? Can I come in?”

Logan glanced up from their roadside seat and saw one of the people from the group standing at the exit of the building. They were wearing a pink shirt under a white, purple and light brown flannel. It was rolled up past their elbows, and they had squarish glasses on. 

“You’re not coming in anywhere,” Logan said. “You’re leaving the building.”

They nodded, “Very true!” They didn’t move from where they were standing.

“You can come over,” Logan said as they went back to staring at the road. “I don’t mind.”

The person walked over and sat down next to Logan. They didn’t say anything for a second, “I’m Emile.” They said, “What’s your name?”

“Logan, but you already knew that.” 

Emile hummed, “True, I did, but I hadn't heard it from you yet!”

“I guess...”

They sat in silence for a minute, before Logan turned to Emile. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yeah sure!”

“In your opinion, does someone being your soulmate really mean anything?”

Emile blew some air out that moved their bangs slightly as they considered their answer, “I don’t think it has to. I think for a lot of people it does, and that’s why society is so insistent that your soulmate is your life partner, but I know a lot of people that don’t care about soulmates or have had broken up with their soulmate, are just acquaintances with them. Then I also know people who are romantically involved with their soulmates, or are involved with people who aren’t their soulmates, are friends with them, platonic partners, in poly relationships. There are really all types. The relationship depends on the people in it.”

Logan took a deep shaky breath, “Okay.”

Emile nodded, “if you want to talk to me about whatever’s going on in that noggin of yours, I promise it’ll stay between us if that’s what you want. I'll just be a friendly ear.”

Logan paused, and didn't say anything for a while before they whispered, “I don’t think I want this.”

“Want what?”

“A soulmate. I know it’s not fair, I don’t know my soulmate but I know humans in general, and I’ve interacted with so many people who’ve spent their entire lives dreaming about meeting their soulmates and for me to just take that away from someone? It feels wrong.”

“I don’t think it’s wrong.” Emile said.

“You don’t?”

“No. You’re allowed to want things, if your soulmate has been dreaming of this moment then they will find something else to look forward to. Sometimes putting yourself first is the best and most important thing to do.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.” They fell silent for a bit. 

“I don’t know what to say when I go back in.” Logan said as they leant back slightly and looked up at the sky.

"Well what do you want to say?"

"That I don't want be their soulmate."

"Then start with that.” Emile said, “if it makes you feel better, I’ve been friends with Roman for a very long time, and I think if you two talk it will be good for both of you.”

Logan nodded, “okay, alright.” Logan thought for a while as they stared up at the sky. “I think I’m ready to go back in,” they said.

“Alright.” Emile stood up and helped Logan get up, “let's go then.”

Logan took a deep breath and walked back into the building. The rest of the group was sitting around the bench, some of them were on the floor or sitting on the wall and everyone seemed a little tense. Logan cleared their throat, and the entire group glanced up, “Um hello,” Logan said.

“Hey.” The person with brown eyes, Logan tried to remember what Emile had called them, Roman? That seemed right. Roman, their... soulmate, stood up and walked over to them. 

“I think we should talk,” Logan said.

Roman laughed slightly, “Yeah. Yeah I think we should.” Roman pointed to an empty room down the hallway, “do you want to talk down there?”

Logan nodded, “that seems adequate.”

Roman led Logan into the empty classroom, they each sat down at two separate desks which were relatively far apart.

After a while of sitting in silence, Roman spoke up. “I’m Roman, I use ze/zir and fae/faer pronouns.”

Logan glanced up, “Ah hello. I go by Logan, they/them.”

Roman nodded, “Cool, so Logan this soulmate thing-”

“I don’t want to be your soulmate.” Logan blurted out. 

“Wait what?”

Logan felt their face heat up, and they started to ramble nervously, “I’m sure you’re a great person, and I wouldn’t mind being friends with you or something like that, but I just don’t think being soulmates will work, at least not right now. And I'm really sorry because I know meeting your soulmate is supposed to be this big occasion, and you're with your friends to celebrate and all that, and I know I've ruined this big important life event, but-"

"Logan, you didn’t ruin anything," Roman interrupted gently. "It's okay. Actually it's more than okay. My friends weren't even there because I was celebrating, they were there because I was nervous.”

“What?”

“I-” Roman laughed slightly, “this is harder than I thought it would be. Uh okay, I’m on the aromantic spectrum and I'm already in a relationship and I was worried that my soulmate wouldn't take that well."

Oh."

"Yeah.” 

"Well that's wonderfully convenient."

Roman looked at Logan and smiled slightly. “I would like to be your friend, but I also understand if you don’t want that.”

“No I do,” Logan said quickly before they added hesitantly, “or I might. I just don’t want to feel like I owe you friendship or any sort of a relationship just because of a count down. You know?”

Roman nodded, “Yeah I get it, I really do.” Logan fiddled with a button on their sleeve as Roman said, “So you’re moving in today right?”

“Yes I am.”

“Could I help you?” Roman asked excitedly.

“Sure,” Logan said, “I’d appreciate the help.”

Roman got up and said, “cool! This’ll be so much fun!”

Logan nodded, but didn’t stand up, “before we go would you mind me asking you a question?”

“No of course not,” Roman said, and fae took a seat on top of one of the desks, “what’s up?”

Logan glanced at the door, “is your partner one of the people out there?”

“Yeah, the guy with the sunglasses and thermos with far too much coffee? That’s Remy. He’s my QPP.” 

"And Remy uses he/him?”

“Oh they don’t mind! Remy uses any pronouns your mind could think of!”

Logan nodded slightly and stood up, “Thank you,” they smiled and looked towards the door. “ready to face people?”

“I prefer to face the music,” Roman said, as fae winked at Logan. 

Logan laughed slightly. “Oh I agree, music is preferable to people, but these are your people.”

Roman rolled xir eyes overdramatically, “Oh you’re right I suppose!” Roman opened the door for Logan, “So ready to begin something new?”

Logan took a deep breath, “yeah, I think I am.”

Logan walked out the door and made their way back to the hallway where the rest of the group was. Today was the start of something new, their time in college as well as their time not bothering to count down to the future, and Logan had a feeling it was the start of something good.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on tumblr! @thesentientmango


End file.
